Franklin: Bill for local medical marijuana sales tax in committee

Thursday

Jul 17, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By Matt TotaDaily News Staff

FRANKLIN ó Legislation that would allow the town to impose a 5 percent local sales tax on the retail and wholesale sale of medical marijuana has been referred to the Revenue Committee for review.State Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, who†co-sponsored the bill with state Sen. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, said a hearing date has not been set.But Franklinís bid to potentially collect thousands of dollars from the company prepping to build a 70,000-square-foot growing facility in the Forge Parkway industrial park may meet the same fate as similar legislation filed by the town of Fairhaven.According to the State House News Service, lawmakers sent a proposal to study, indicating the billís likely demise. The news service reported that the town was the first to try to tax the drug since state voters approved medical marijuana use in November 2012.Roy, however, said the legislation might have sputtered because the dispensary seeking a license to open in Fairhaven did not make the cut.On the other hand, New England Treatment Access Inc., the company that wants to grow medical marijuana in Franklin, has entered the inspection phase of the Department of Public Healthís licensing process.The company plans to sell the marijuana grown in Franklin at dispensaries in Brookline and Northampton. It projects to make $11.8 million in revenue in 2015, growing 2,400 pounds of marijuana, and doubling production by 2016."I will talk to the Revenue Committee chair once a hearing is scheduled to inquire about the prospects," Roy said in an email Wednesday.The proposed legislation for Franklin would apply to the retail and wholesale sale of the marijuana cultivated in town and sold in another community.Expectedly, local officials say the sales tax would be a huge revenue boost."Having these dispensaries approved opened some new areas of public safety concern and things that the local municipalities that host them will have to face," Roy said. "Having this type of a discussion on revenue that may address these concerns is vital. We want the municipalities to benefit from this type of business in their community like everyone else. If it does not happen this legislative session, Iím sure every other community that is in the same boat will put it on the table for the next session."The state does not tax medical marijuana, but the Department of Revenue has said that a community could do so as long as it receives approval from the Legislature.Matt Tota can be reached at 508-634-7521 or mtota@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @matttotaMDN.